Benerson Little
"The trident of Neptune is the scepter of the world."*
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* By Antoine Marin Lemierre, from his poem "Commerce."
“They are always as vagabonds, and in continual exile, without any rest; agitated by the Winds, Rain, Hail, Snow, at the mercy of Pyrats and Rovers, Rocks and Tempests, in continual hazard of being intomb’d in the bellies of fishes...” —Jeremias Heraclitus Christianus, writing of the merchant seaman in The Man of Sorrow, 1677.
“Some the Sea swallowes, but that which most grieves, Some turne Sea-monsters, Pirates, roaving theeves...” —John Taylor, An Apologie for Sea-men, 1615. Archives
(Tags are listed at the foot of the page in this column.)
Boarding party from the USS McFaul aboard pirate mothership Faize Osamani, a captured Indian dhow, on April 5, 2010. (US Department of Defense photograph)
USS Farragut sinking a captured Somali pirate "mother ship" in April, 2010. (US Navy photograph)
Dutch marines from the HNMLSTromp fastrope onto the MV Taipan and capture it from pirates on April 5, 2010. (Dutch Navy photograph)
French pirate hunting frigate Nivose, a "frégate de surveillance." (French navy photograph)
Pirates captured by the French naval vessel Somme in October 2009. (EU NAVFOR Somalia photo)
Boarding team from the frigate HMS Portland captures suspected Somali pirates in June 2009. (Royal Navy photograph)
Dutch commandos capture seven pirates and free twenty fishermen who had been forced to work the mother ship. Unfortunately, the pirates were soon themselves freed due to constraints of Dutch law and of NATO. (Royal Navy photograph)
Small pirate "mother ship" (bateau mère) intercepted by French frigate Nivôse in April 2009. The vessel was loaded with fuel. (French Ministry of Defense photograph)
7.62 mm exit holes in the stern of the Maersk Alabama lifeboat. The holes were plugged with silicone. (Author's photo, taken at the National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum, Ft. Pierce, Florida.)
Captain Richard Phillips (on right) aboard the USS Bainbridge after being rescued from pirates by the US Navy. His captors were shot dead by Navy SEAL snipers. (US Navy photograph)
French commandos aboard the yacht Tanit. (AFP)
Liberation of the yacht Tanit by the French Navy, including members of the Commando Hubert. (French Ministry of Defense photograph)
Captured Somali pirates. (US Navy photograph)
MV Sirius Star ransomed by air drop. (US Navy photograph)
A few of the pirates who captured the arms ship MV Faina. (US Navy photograph)
Thai fishing trawler destroyed by Indian frigate INS Tabar. The trawler was under attack by pirates. The frigate, which came under fire from pirates aboard the trawler, believed the vessel was a pirate "mother ship." (India Defense Ministry photograph)
French commandos capture several of the pirates who held the luxury yacht Le Ponant for ransom. (French Ministry of Defense photograph)
Pirate skiff destroyed by the USS Porter in 2007. (US Navy photograph)
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Piracy News & CommentaryAnti-Pirate Sonic LasersJanuary 26, 2009
Lloyd's List, a publication of the venerable insurance firm Lloyd's of London, not to mention the world's leading maritime newspaper, reported today that Somali pirates have released the US-owned chemical tanker Biscaglia and its crew of twenty-eight, almost certainly after payment of an undisclosed ransom. The capture of the tanker last (more…)
Islamists and Piracy in SomaliaJanuary 16, 2009
The BBC has reported that Somali Islamists have executed a Somali politician for the crime of apostacy, in that he had worked with the non-Moslem Ethiopian occupying forces. In the Sharia court's view, this was sufficient evidence that the official had abandoned his Moslem faith. (Ethiopian forces recently withdrew from Somalia, having failed to oust (more…)
Brief Update on Somali PiracyJanuary 14, 2009
Briefly updating yesterday's post on the perils of piracy, the Russian frigate Admiral Vinogradov foiled an attack today on the containership Nedlloyd Barentsz, wounding and capturing three pirates in the process. The captured pirates were turned over to Yemeni authorities. In spite of recent releases, Somali pirates are still holding eleven merchant vessels and two hundred (more…)
The Perils of PiracyJanuary 13, 2009
In the late 17th century, buccaneer surgeon and author Alexander Esquemelin noted that pieces-of-eight were not “gathered as easily as pears from a tree,” contrary to the expectations of those new to piracy. The Somali pirates are quickly discovering just how right he was. After a year noted for attacks on more than one (more…)
Secretary of State Nominee Clinton Appears to Equate Piracy With TerrorismJanuary 13, 2009
In her opening statement today during the Senate confirmation hearing on her nomination as Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton stated that “even an ancient form of terror--piracy--[is] asserting itself in modern form off the Horn of Africa.” (I assume that by using the term "terror" she meant "terrorism," given that its use in the context of international relations is almost invariably taken to indicate terrorism.) Although the argument that piracy is terrorism is a popular one, even an enticing one, (more…)
Where Some Reporters and Commentators on Somali Piracy Have Got It Wrong...January 12, 2009
It is not uncommon lately to find reporters and other commentators, in print and on television, proclaiming with obvious admiration about how “heavily armed” and “bold” are the Somali pirates. Often these well-intentioned media members refer to Somali pirates in very romantic terms, “modern buccaneers” for example, even claiming occasionally that they have taken (more…)
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